The appointment of liberal Egyptian politician Mohamed ElBaradei as interim prime minister hit a snag on Saturday, as the army-backed transitional authorities were under pressure to restore order after deadly Islamist protests.

State media and officials had said earlier that the 71-year-old Nobel Peace prizewinner and former UN nuclear agency chief would be named interim prime minister on Saturday evening. But a presidential spokesman, speaking shortly before midnight, said there were several options for the job and the presidency had to take account of opposition to ElBaradei. (Reuters)